The Dark Ones
by Wushu
Summary: //SquallRinoa// AU. Vampires walk amongst us, praying on the living. They are hunted by a being known only as Hunter, a man with a shadowy past and no apparent future. That all changes when he meets Rinoa, who is she and how will she change his life?
1. Introduction

Title: The Dark Ones  
Series: Final Fantasy 8  
Pairing: Squall/Rinoa  
Rating: M (for violence)  
Summary: Vampires walk amongst us, praying on the living. They are hunted by a being known only as Hunter, a man with a shadowy past and no apparent future. That all changes when he meets Rinoa, who is she and how will she change his life?

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 8 and the characters are the property of Square-Enix, and they reserve all rights entitled to them.

**Introduction**

**AaAaA**

Very little changes through the years; desire, hate, fear, love, passion. These all remain unchanging and unaltered. The desires of men lead to wars and death, wars lead to hatred. Love and passion leads to unobtainable desires which leads to pain and strife. It is a never-ending cycle that will continue until the final days of mankind, an event that may be sooner that one may think.

'Who am I to talk', you may be asking yourself, and that is a valid question. I am Hunter, but I was once known by another name, but that life, and that person are now dead, a memory of those who once knew him. I was an average student at the local university, one of those undecided students; I had no real career path. But that all changed the day my life was turned upside down.

Now, I won't bore you with the details of that life-changing event, at least not yet. But I will tell you that now I have a path that I must follow to its bitter end, whether I like it or not, for you see, I am now a Demon Hunter, I hunt the children of the night, I hunt Vampires. This is my story, and the story of a girl that will forever change the shape of civilization as we know it, this is _**our**_ story.

**AaAaA**

**End Introduction, TBC Chapter 1: The Girl in the Park**


	2. Chapter 1: The Girl In The Park

**Author's Note:** Well, first let me say that I enjoyed your reviews and I thank you for them. Now let me address a few comments made, this will be the last time I do this little author's note unless a review makes a valid point that I should address.

Ok, Kiery, yes I know this has been done many times; however, I have yet to see a Squinoa Vampyr story that has been completed. Also there hasn't been one like this one will turn out, trust me.

Isis, Cassandra, I know it was short and that was the point. I like to write short introductions, it helps to draw readers into the story without giving away any of the plot yet.

Ok, so without any more comment, here is the next chapter, enjoy.

**Chapter 1: The Girl in the Park**

**AaAaA**

Deling City. The City that Never sleeps! The home of the Deling Arch, Galbadia Garden, and 'Da' Deling Yankees, Unknown to the citizens of the city, there is a war being waged for their very lives. A War against good and evil, a war in which blood isn't being spilled, for that is the cause of the war, and blood is precious to both sides.

**AaAaA**

The battle raged on as the fighters moved to attack again. The metal of their blades shining in the streetlight, their clothing blending into the shadows as they circled one another in the mixed darkness.

They lunge and parry, each deflecting the others blade, two skilled opponents fighting to the death.

One lunges with a killing blow but is stopped short by the loss of his head. His scimitar falls from his hand as his head and body hit the ground. As quickly as he had struck, his opponent and the victor moves to sprinkle holy water on the body and perform the last rights, at which point the body burst into flames and vanishes into ash.

Following that impromptu funeral ceremony, the victor moves from the site of the battle toward the street, in the process sheathing his sword in its hidden scabbard on his back.

Making his way toward the street, he had just enough time to disappear into the shadows as the first of the police cars started to show, the DC Police were fast this month. Another night, another evil destroyed, life was good for the man known only as Hunter.

**AaAaA**

"Good morning, its 6:00 and here is a look at your overnight headlines. Yet another head without a body continues to baffles police as they search for the killer, it is believed that there is a serial killer on the loose in the Upper East Side where the beheadings have taken place. In more happy news, the President will…." The anchor didn't get a chance to finish as the set was turned off by the impatient yet smugly satisfied viewer.

Hunter pursed his lips in a small grin as he recalled what the news had said with some happiness; however the head had proven to be a problem. No matter how skilled he was with the disposal of Vampyrs, the cops always seemed to find some evidence.

"Do the damned things get up and walk away? I thought the head landed no more that 3 feet from the body." He thought to himself as he moved toward the refrigerator to get something to eat before bed. Hunting both gave him an appetite and exhausted him; today sleep would be pleasant. Being a night hunter, he was only able to sleep in the day, and that's when the nightmares started, when he was allowed to sleep that is.

Getting a half eaten ham sandwich from the fridge, Hunter made his way to the couch to listen to some 'dinner music' picking up the remote and pushing a button filled the room with the sounds of soft jazz.

Finishing the sandwich and lulled by the music, Hunter made his way to the makeshift bedroom to sleep. Laying down and closing his eyes, he enters into the dreamless sleep of the night hunter.

**AaAaA**

Awaking with a start, Hunter awakes from his once dreamless sleep now turned feverish. Looking at the clock on his nightstand he sees that it is 5:30 in the afternoon. The sun would be setting into the autumn sky soon.

As he prepares for this night's hunt he invokes all the teachings of his teacher, Cid Kramer.

"Remember Hunter, you can't kill them when you're dead. You must use their weaknesses against them, counter to their attack. Thrust to their parry. And always, always, always, go for the head. Then you move on to the next attacker."

Kramer's words came back as the lessons flashed through his head. The hours of intensive drills, and training with weapons of both the old and new ages. The skills passed on in those lessons have been passed on since the first hunter killed the first Vampyr. Knowledge, to the hunter is meaningless, although properly applied it is the one thing that will allow him to continue to hunt.

Gathering his tools, Hunter prepares to hunt that night, moving across the city, hitting the local Vampyr hangouts.

Having gathered his tools and various items he'd need for a night hunting the undead; his katana, a vial of holy water, and several wooden stakes. He then studies a map of the city, the main nests both known and destroyed and undestroyed marked by pins. The majority of the 'hotspots' are clubs and bus stations.

Finally deciding, he heads off for the bus stations, going by way of Central Park. There were always a few Vampyrs lurking there.

**AaAaA**

Hunter's apartment was at a prime location in the business district, the property having been in his family for years. The apartment was really just a converted warehouse with a living space and a training area. There was also a collection of items gathered from Vampyrs over the years. Some of these items dated back thousands of years.

Making his way through the city, he silently approached the park, the wind in the trees the only noticeable sound. He began stalking the shadows, staying where he wouldn't be seen.

He became alert when he heard the sounds of rapid breathing, there was someone running toward him in a panic. Looking from his place amongst the trees he saw a young girl running as though the devil were after her. In a way he was, for behind her were two Vampyrs with fangs extended. Hunter smiled when he saw this, his first kills of the night.

The girl was being chased by two young Vampyrs. Sired within the last few months no doubt, judging by the way they acted; inexperienced, cocky, and arrogant. Hunter stalked them in the shadows as they chased the girl; he waited until they had cornered her before making his move.

"Please don't hurt me," the girl begged as the two closed around her, the fear evident in her stance and her eyes. The two Vampyrs could taste the fear emanating from her and it invigorated them.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt, we're just going to take your life's blood, you know, a little 'bloody Mary' before bed, that's all," the leader said, licking his fangs in anticipation.

"Yeah, you won't miss it when you're dead," his companion agreed as they both reached for the girl. Hunter shook his head in shame; these two were almost like kiddy show freaks, and not Vampyrs. Who ever sired them must have had mush for brains. These guys were morons. Hunter decided to intervene and end their pathetic existence as quickly as possible.

"_She_ may feel otherwise," Hunter said from the shadows behind them, causing the Vampyrs to turn toward him.

"Who the hell are you?" the leader spit out, angered at his meal being interrupted.

"Just a concerned citizen, that's all."

"Well, in that case we can both feed tonight," the underling said as he lunged at Hunter while the leader held the girl, waiting for his companion to feed.

Hunter stood his ground as the Vampyr lunged at him, he didn't move a muscle until the Vampyr was directly in front of him. When he did he quickly unsheathed his sword and in one movement separated his attacker's head from his body. He slowly stepped from the shadows, his sword gleaming in the scattered light as he approached the leader.

"Don't come any closer," he hissed, holding a small knife to the girl's neck. "I'll kill her."

"Go ahead, I really don't care, but think of it this way, you kill her, I kill you, you let her go, I _still_ kill you. Either way you die, so let her go and accept the end gracefully, unlike your headless friend here," Hunter said as he pointed to the body laying behind him.

Seeing that there was no way out, the Vampyr dropped the knife, and sunk his teeth into the girl's neck, drawing blood from the puncture wounds, Hunter merely took out his knife and threw it directly into the Vampyr's neck, severing the veins and arteries within, spilling the life giving blood down his neck, forcing the fangs to retract back into his mouth. Reeling back in pain and shock, he released the girl, who fell to the ground, while he clutched at the knife lodged into his throat. Hunter stepped toward him, his sword resting on his shoulder. The Vampyr looked up into Hunter's blue-gray eyes and saw only his death approaching. Accepting that which he couldn't change the Vampyr kneeled before Hunter and waited as the blade swung through the air and removed his head, much as it did his friends.

Hunter kneeled and removed his knife, sprinkling holy water on the body and head and gave last rights, the body burst into dust as he did the same to the other body. Hunter moved to the girl, she was a brunette with her hair curling at the ends; she was wearing a short yellow dress that almost left nothing to the imagination, almost. He kneeled beside her and felt for a pulse, there was one; her attacker didn't get much blood, she probably knocked her head on the ground when she fell. He gently picked her up and carried her through the alleys back to his apartment, he could hunt another night, and this girl needed help.

**AaAaA**

He placed her on his bed and went to the bathroom to gather the medical supplies he'd need. One of the lessons Kramer taught him was how to save a biting victim and prevent them from becoming a Vampyr themselves.

He returned to the girl, materials in hand and set about saving her life. Her blood had seeped from the bite on her neck and into his shirt and parts of her clothing; they'd need to be cleaned before she left. He began with a disinfectant to kill any vampyric germs, he didn't want to have to hunt her down later and kill her. He quickly dressed the wound after making sure it was cleansed with a formula that Kramer had developed. Hunted had asked him about it once and he replied by saying; 'I make good cocktails. This is one of those pleasant surprises that you can dispose of by drinking.' After that he'd shown him how to make it and then he disposed of it by drinking a glass full, needless to say he didn't die.

His 'cocktail' as he called it, was also useful in helping to revive the victim's strength once they were awake, that and it could strip paint from a wall in nothing flat. Hunter sighed as he finished putting the bandage on the girl's neck; she'd need a few hours sleep to recover the lost blood. He decided to train until she awoke; it was after all almost Sunday morning.

**AaAaA**

Hunter managed to get in a few hours practice and meditation when she began to stir, He quickly moved to her side, but only after taking the room to a low light, she didn't need to see his face.

"Ugh," she said as she slowly regained consciousness.

"Take it easy, you've have a hard night," he said as she slowly opens her eyes.

"Who are you, where am I?" she asks in a frightened tone.

"My name is Hunter; I saved you from the Vampyrs that attacked you. You're safe in my apartment. What's your name and where are you from, why were you out so late?"

"My name is Selphie Tilmitt and I'm from Balamb. I was visiting my boyfriend, Irvine Kinneas, he invited my to a party but I got lost on the way. Then those Vampyr's attacked me and you saved me. What happened?"

"You were bit by a Vampyr, but there was no harm done, you only lost a little blood. But I will need to wash your clothes before you leave, no sense walking around with dried blood on your dress."

"Oh, yeah, you're right. But do you have something I can wear?"

"Yeah, hold on, I'll go get you a shirt and shorts."

Hunter then moved to his closet where he removed a shirt and shorts that she could wear. When he returned he found the lights back up to their normal level, making it difficult to stay in the shadows.

"Here," he said as he threw the clothes to her from the shadowy hallway.

"Aren't you going to come in? I can change in the bathroom, this is your apartment after all," she said when he began to retreat.

"No, I can't let you see me; it's safer that way, safer for you. I'll be back when you've changed. I'm going to make you something to eat."

Selphie nodded as he closed the door; once he was gone she quickly changed out of her clothes and put the blood-covered material in a pile on the desk. There she noticed a pin, it was small and of a beautiful design, one that she'd never seen before except in ancient books about demons, witches, knights, sorceresses and kings. Yet here was one that didn't appear to be ancient at all. The design was a diamond set on top of a square at the top and a triangle at the bottom, inside the diamond was separated almost in the middle into two sections. In the top section there was a marking that looked like a half arrow pointing up and down with a line drawn under it. The bottom section was a symbol similar to a cursive C.

Selphie stared at the pin, trying to remember where in the books she had seen that design, she was startled to hear a voice behind her.

"Beautiful, isn't it? That is the design of the Hunter, what they hunt is all speculation. That particular pin is the design for the Vampyr Hunter, at least that's according to some scholars."

"Why, why…"

"Why do I have it?" Hunter asked as Selphie backed away from the desk, suddenly afraid of the man before her. "You could say that I specialize in ancient myths and the occult, like the Vampyrs that attacked you."

"What are you?" she asked, trying to see his face past the hair that hid it in shadows.

"What am I? I wish I knew," Hunter replied with a laugh. "What I am is a Vampyr Hunter, that's what I do. I hunt down the night hunters and destroy them, aside from that I am nothing, a mere shadow of a person."

"But Vampyrs aren't real, that's just old superstition."

"The ones that tried to kill you were pretty real weren't they?" he asked as he picked up her clothes and left the room.

Selphie sat at the desk chair and thought over what he said; she didn't have much time to muse as he returned shortly.

"What do you want to know?" Hunter asked as he leaned against the wall, shrouded in shadows once again.

"Are you the only one?"

"There are others, but not many. There are only a handful of people chosen by Hyne to rid the planet of the undead."

"What do you want from me?"

Hunter gave a laugh before answering.

"Nothing my dear Selphie, absolutely nothing. But I do ask one thing; tell me about yourself and your boyfriend, Irvine."

"Why do you want to know about us?" she inquired.

"I may have need of help in the future, and I need to know if I can trust you, there is a war coming, and we need all the allies we can get."

"Oh, well Irvine is a sharpshooter for the Galbadian Army, I'm a student at Balamb Garden, there's not much more to tell."

"Good, Selphie I want you to take that pin and the one just like it in the drawer and give one to Irvine and keep the other for yourself. Wear it at all times, it's a sign to Vampyrs that you are protected by a Hunter, they dare not attack one who is protected. In the future I may call upon you or Irvine to assist me in my fight. Tell him the story and tell him to expect me at any time. In my line of work allies are few and far between, if I find that you or he has betrayed me to the enemy then I will personally kill you. There is a war coming, Vampyrs against Humans, with Hunters being the soldiers. You must decide which side you want to be on," he then turned and began leaving the room.

"Hunter," he stopped at her voice, "let me see your face; I want to know what you look like."

"Selphie, it isn't wise for you to see me, once your clothes are cleaned I'll take you where ever you need to go."

"Please, consider it a token of trust in return for our future help."

Hunter sighed, knowing he had to show her his face, and by doing so it endangered her life ten-fold. Reluctantly he stepped from the shadows into the light, causing Selphie to gasp.

"I know you," Selphie began after her shock wore off, "I know you, you're…"

**AaAaA**

**End chapter 1, TBC chapter 2: Hey Man!**


	3. Chapter 2: Hey Man!

**Chapter 2: Hey Man!**

**AaAaA**

He raised his head as he passed through the main gates; the site of the massive complex still gave him a slight sense of awe. Releasing his breath he entered the main building, yet another day at Balamb Garden.

Entering his first class, the young man looked around the room, his friend was late again. Just as he began walking toward his seat he was slammed into from behind. He turned to speak to his attacker only to find his best, and only friend Zell grinning at him.

"Hey man! How was your weekend?"

"Same as always, got another dozen or so," he replied as they both sat in the back of the class, waiting for the ever-tardy teacher to arrive.

"Cool, that's good to know. Hey, did you hear about the new student?" Zell asked as the bell rang, with the teacher practically falling through the door several seconds later.

"Good morning class, I'm sorry for being late," the teacher Ms. Bertram said as she placed her lesson books on the desk, out of breath.

Ms. Bertram was a young woman, around 25 who had just received her teaching certification the previous year. She had brownish-blonde hair that came to her shoulders, which she wore pulled back in a ponytail. She had brown eyes that sparkled with innocence and youth. She was constantly late for class, having to take the bus while her car was fixed; the buses never ran on time.

"No, I haven't," the young man replied as the teacher settled herself.

"I hear she's from Galbadia, that she's the daughter of some bigwig general there. But that's just a rumor. She is from Galbadia though," Zell replied with a smile.

"Hmmm," was all his friend would say, he was watching the teacher write the day's lesson on the board.

Zell took this as his sign to shut up and focused on the teacher and what she was writing.

"Today class," she began as she shuffled her papers, looking for the handout. Finding it she began passing it out as she resumed speaking, "we will learn about various aspects of ancient mythology. For the next few weeks we will be focusing on the appearances of Vampyrs in the folklore of various countries and people."

Hearing this both Zell and Squall cringed, knowing that whatever she taught would be inaccurate.

With a sigh, his friend settled back in his chair and waited for the lecture to begin so that it could end just as quickly. Zell decided that he would follow this example and settled back for the long haul.

**AaAaA**

"Man, I thought she'd never stop," Zell complained as he took a seat next to Squall in the courtyard just outside the cafeteria. They didn't like the company of the other students, so they sat outside, away from the noise and prying eyes of their classmates.

Squall just shrugged as he picked at his food, he rarely ate what he bought.

"You know, you will waste away to nothing if you don't eat something."

"I'm just not hungry, and you know I won't waste away. I have good genes," Squall replied with a small smirk at Zell.

Zell looked at him a moment then gave a short, yet hearty laugh.

"True, very true, but you do need to do it for show at least," he said as a group of female students walked past, their eyes fixed on Squall. Zell watched them go by.

"You know, the girls really seem to dig you. You really should consider dating; it'll make you appear more normal."

Squall sighed as he pushed his plate away from him and sat back.

"Zell, why would I want to appear normal, why pretend to be something I'm not? Besides, if I _did_ start dating they would find out the truth. If they found out the truth what could I do? I couldn't kill them, and they can't disappear. Anyway, nothing about these girls attracts me, I'm looking for _her_, an angel, and around here there will never be 'her'."

"Wow," Zell said in awe, "that's the longest I have _**ever**_ heard you speak. No seriously I've not …"

Zell was cut off as a girl appeared in front of them.

"Excuse me, but can you point me to the office? I'm new and the campus is so big I got lost," she said as she smiled shyly.

"Yeah, sure, same thing happened to me. Go down this corridor until you see an elevator. Take the elevator to the 2nd floor, the offices are located there," Zell replied as he pointed the way.

"Thank you," she said to Zell as she started walking away, "bye."

This last comment was directed entirely to Squall, whom the girl hadn't taken her eyes off of almost the entire time.

Zell turned to Squall once she had gone, only to find him with a stunned look on his face.

"Squall, what's wrong man?" Zell asked concerned, Squall's face had lost what little color it had and his eyes were staring directly ahead, his mouth open slightly.

"Who was that?" he asked Zell, who shrugged his ignorance. "She was beautiful, like an angel."

Zell just looked at his friend in total shock until the bell rang, signaling an end to lunch period and time to return to class.

**AaAaA**

After school, Squall left Zell and went to the dorm room that was assigned him. Students were given rooms on campus when they enrolled but were allowed to spend the nights and weekends off campus if they wanted. Of course they had to be back for classes the next day or Monday.

During the week he was in the dorms, on the weekends he 'got away' to the small apartment he kept in Deling City.

He sighed as he looked around the sparsely furnished dorm room. There was a bed, a desk and chair, computer (provided by the school of course), lamp, television, closet and bathroom. He kept very few, if any, of his possessions here. Glancing to the wall he spotted his gunblade, the weapon he had shown the most skill at using during the weapons entrance exam.

Taking it from its hook on the wall, he removed it from its holster, the cold metal gleaming in the harsh fluorescent lighting of the room.

After taking a few practice swings, he returned the blade to its holster and moved toward the door, weapon in hand. His destination was the Training Center, the only place they were allowed to use their weapons outside of open combat and in class training.

The Training Center was a secured building attached to the campus by a walkway with sliding metal partitions designed to stop an escape. Inside the Training Center were monsters that roamed the open plains of the planet, hunting anything that came into their view. There were monsters of various skill levels here, with the most advanced and deadly being the T-rex.

Wandering aimlessly through the center he came across few lower skilled monsters, they could sense his energy and kept away.

Finally after half an hour of wandering he found a monster worthy of battle, a Grendel, an ugly creature that was classified as being a smaller type of dragon. It was rumored that they could, on occasion, be more powerful than some of their bigger counterparts.

Squall smiled as he engaged the two Grendels in front of him.

**AaAaA**

The battle was short but violent, the Grendels dying quickly at the hands of Squall. One of the Grendels, just before it died managed to strike Squall in the shoulder with a claw, the blood flowing onto the claw as the creature died.

Squall grimaced as he pulled the talon from his shoulder. Re-holstering his Gunblade he moved his hand to stop the blood flow.

Turning toward the exit he saw the girl from the courtyard staring at him as he moved toward her.

As he passed her, she stopped him with a hand on his good shoulder and spoke.

"You're hurt," she said, concern evident in her eyes.

"It's just a flesh wound, nothing more," he replied as he gently pulled away and toward the exit.

He was stopped again as she moved in front of him, hands placed firmly on her hips. Squall sighed and looked at her for truly the first time. She had raven black hair, skin the color of porcelain, eyes a deep warm brown, and lips the color of red roses.

"I saw your fight, that Grendel got you good," she said as her eyes flashed with worry.

Sighing again, he tried to reassure her, even as the blood flowed around his fingers and into his shirt.

"Look, I have a medical kit in my dorm room; I'm going to fix my shoulder up there. Plus, it's nothing, don't worry about it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to dress this before I bleed to death."

With that he pushed pass her and out the doors toward his quarters, she followed him out of the Training Center but left him to his own devices as she left for the cafeteria.

As she walked along with a smile on her face, she was unaware of a pair of eyes following her all the way to the cafeteria. They left her once she entered.

When she arrived, she looked for her first friend at Balamb Garden, a cheerful girl named Selphie. Spotting her friend sitting at a table, she made her way there.

"Hi Selphie," she said as she sat down.

"Hi Rinoa, what's up?"

"I just ran into the strangest boy I've ever met. He took on two Grendels and in moments killed them, and then one of them wounded him before it died. _Then_ he tried to leave the Training Center for his dorm room and not the infirmary."

"Don't worry bout it, lots of people keep medical kits in their rooms, most of the time they don't want to go to the infirmary. What'd he look like, I may know who it is," she replied with a grin. "Is he cute?"

"Very! He's taller than I am, about 5'8", brown hair, storm gray eyes, scar across the bridge of his nose," Rinoa replied in a dream-like state.

Selphie's eyes grew wide as she realized whom Rinoa was talking about, and what it could mean.

"I know who that is, he's a lone wolf, and his only friend is some guy named Zell. No one knows anything about him, not even the Headmaster. But, just so you know, his name is Squall Leonhart."

**AaAaA**

**End chapter 2, TBC chapter 3: Just a Flesh Wound.**


	4. Chapter 3: Just a Flesh Wound

**Chapter 3: Just a Flesh Wound.**

**AaAaA**

Squall sighed as he entered his dorm room.

_That girl is gonna be trouble,_ he thought as he went to the bathroom to clean the blood off.

As he was removing his shirt and jacket, there was a knock at his door.

"Who is it?" He called out, his tone demanding the visitor leave.

"Squall, it's me man, hey let me in!" Zell said from the hallway.

Squall left the bathroom and opened the door for his friend.

"Hey man, I heard you ran into some Grendels and got hurt."

"And how would you hear that?" Squall asked as he closed the door behind Zell and folded his arms across his bare chest.

"I … uh … I overheard that girl Rinoa and Selphie in the cafeteria, and knowing you, thought I could offer my help."

Squall sighed as he uncrossed his arms and returned to the bathroom, Zell following him.

"Damn!" Zell said when he saw the wound in the light, Squall generally kept his room dark like a tomb.

"It's not that bad Zell, the creature just stuck me with a claw, that's all."

"But that's a lot of blood, you're gonna need to replenish yourself, you know that right?"

Squall sighed as he thought ahead to what he must eventually do.

"Yeah, I know, now help me clean this blood off, it's starting to dry. You know how much dried blood itches."

So the two spent the next several minutes cleaning the drying blood from Squall's shoulder.

When they were done Squall looked at his shoulder and began to concentrate. Slowly, the tear in his pale flesh began to mend itself. The muscle tissue and veins merging together again as the skin around it became whole, leaving only a small scar.

"You know, as many time as I see that I will never get over it," Zell remarked as he handed Squall another shirt.

"Zell, could you please take those clothes to be repaired and cleaned? I need to take care of Selphie and Rinoa," he said as he moved toward the door, causing Zell to step forward in horror.

"Squall! You not gonna … you won't …" Zell stammered as he tried to phrase it right, but Squall interrupted him, saving him the trouble.

"Relax, I'm just going to make sure they don't start any rumors, my life would be more difficult if Rinoa realized how much blood I _did_ lose. Don't worry, I won't harm them," he said with a smirk, "so, you want me to grab you a few hotdogs?"

"Yeah, I'd appreciate that," Zell said as he left the room carrying Squall's clothes to the laundry to be cleaned and repaired.

With another sigh, Squall left his room and headed toward the cafeteria where he knew Selphie and Rinoa would be.

**AaAaA**

Arriving in the somewhat crowded cafeteria, Squall looked around until he spotted Selphie in her yellow dress, sitting with Rinoa in her blue duster, black shirt and matching shorts.

Before he moved in their direction, he went to the lunch counter and asked for Zell's hotdogs, all he had to do was say 'they're for Zell' and he soon had a plate piled high with the young man's favorite food.

Squall walked over to Rinoa and Selphie and sat down, placing the hotdogs on the place beside him.

"Umm, hi Squall," Selphie said as she saw who had joined them, a smile tugging at her lips. He merely glanced at her, guaranteeing her silence.

"Are all those yours?" Rinoa asked as she stared wide-eyed at the plate beside him.

"No, they're for Zell, he'll be here any minute, I can't stand the things," he replied as he pushed the repulsive food further away from him.

"So, how's your shoulder?" Selphie asked a knowing smile on her face as she tried to stir up the young man before her.

"Just fine, like I told Rinoa, it was just a flesh wound," he stated matter-of-factly. "It's almost healed already."

"Um, how did you know my name, I never told it to you?" Rinoa asked surprised that the handsome young man before her knew who she was.

"Zell," was his only answer. As he said that, the person in question stepped through the doors and made his way to the table where they sat.

"Hey, thanks for getting the hotdogs, Squall," Zell began as he bit into the first one he could grab.

"No problem," Squall replied somewhat disgusted as Zell sprayed partially chewed hot dog bits on him.

"Hi Zell, WAIT! Don't talk, finish chewing!" Selphie commanded before he could spray her and Rinoa as well.

"Sorry," he managed to mumble, keeping all the bits in this time.

"So, Squall, why was there so much blood if it was only a flesh wound?" Selphie asked innocently. Squall just shot her a death glare that plainly said 'shut up'.

"The claw hit a vein, alright? Lots of blood, little damage," he replied with a tone that said drop it. "Most of it was the Grendel's blood anyway."

"Are you in Ms. Bertram's history class?" Rinoa asked as she pushed her half-eaten 'mystery' meatloaf around her plate.

Squall only nodded, Zell mumbled something that sounded like yes.

"You're in that class too? I didn't see you there," Zell said as he washed down a hotdog with his Cola.

"I was there before you were, sitting all the way against the wall by the window," Rinoa explained before going on.

"What do you think of the topic, 'Vampyrs in History'?" Rinoa asked with emphasis on the topic, a smile gracing her face.

"Personally I think everything she's teaching is a bunch of …" he stopped as Zell elbowed him, preventing him from saying what he wanted to. "Inaccuracies."

He glared at his friend for elbowing him, Zell only shrugged, knowing Squall wouldn't hurt him, at least he hoped.

"Why?" Selphie and Rinoa asked together.

Squall sighed; he wasn't going to answer this one. He looked to Zell, who understood exactly what he wanted.

Swallowing the hot dog he'd been chewing, he cleared his throat and began to explain.

"Well, you see Squall has been doing research on Vampyrs for years; I guess you could call it an obsession." Squall glared, Zell shrugged as he continued. "Most of what she's teaching is based off the horror movie genre. You see, like the horror movies, fictional Vampyrs have been romanticized. In more ways than one, you see their appearance is all wrong. Vampyrs aren't pale corpses. They actually look like everybody else, for all we know Squall could be one, or Rinoa, even Selphie could. The reason for them becoming Vampyrs is wrong as well, close, but still wrong. Yes, if you share blood with a Vampyr you will become one as well. But not if they drink your blood. You **have** to drink their blood as well. And then there's …"

"Ok, thank you very much Mr. Dincht, a very educational lesson." Selphie said as she cut him off, "but much more than we wanted to know."

Zell shrugged as he went back to his hotdogs.

"So, how was your weekend Rinoa?" Selphie asked, noticing the 'change the conversation' vibe emanating from Squall.

"Fine, I moved into my dorm, nothing big. How 'bout you Selphie?"

"Oh, I spent some time with Irvy in Galbadia. We went walking in the parks, it was very romantic. I was almost mugged, but some stranger stopped them. He left before I could thank him."

"So that's how you got those bruises, I was wondering what happened." Rinoa replied before going on. "You were mugged? Were you scared?"

"At first, then my knight in black leather came to my rescue, scaring the muggers away," her eyes glancing toward Squall who looked bored.

Rinoa noticed this and decided to get him to open up.

"Squall, aren't you going to eat lunch?" Rinoa asked as she turned her brown eyes onto the storm gray eyes of Squall. She had to remind herself to breathe as she felt herself falling into their stormy depths.

"They never have what I want here; I have a fridge in my dorm." He explained, glossing over the question. While he could eat regular food, he normally didn't. The cafeteria was only known for two things; their hotdogs, and the other food sucking. It seems the lunch ladies focused only on the hotdogs.

Deciding to change the conversation, Rinoa went back to their Vampyrs conversation.

"So, you've studied Vampyrs?" she asked Squall as she propped her head in her hands, watching him.

Knowing that he couldn't get angry at her here, and knowing that he couldn't escape the conversation, he answered.

"Yes, what do you want to know?" he asked reluctantly.

"Wow, there's so much I want to know. Do Vampyrs have souls? I've always wondered that, the movies really don't explain that."

With a long-suffering sigh, Squall began 'teaching'.

"Yes, Vampyrs have a soul, sort of. Humans have a soul, as do all living things. Vampyrs have a soul as well, however, unlike a human soul it is corrupted, yet not corrupt enough to warrant going to hell. That's why Vampyrs roam the planet, they can't go to heaven and they can't go to hell. You see, Vampyrs are the descendants of Cain, the first murderer. Cain's choice to kill his brother severed his ties with Hyne. It was a choice, that's what separates man from animal, the ability to choose. Cain's choice was to live without Hyne, and his descendants were thus forced to live in the shadow of his decision. The Vampyrs not being seen in mirrors is a bunch of baloney too. They have a soul, however corrupted it may be, they still have one. That's what makes it so difficult to tell Vampyrs from normal humans."

"Wow, that's some explanation," Rinoa said as she sat back, Zell just grinned.

"Yeah, and that was the short version," He said as he reached for the last hotdog, "the long version takes over an hour to tell."

Squall looked up at the clock and sighed, time to go feed.

"Zell, I'm going into town to get some food," Squall said as he rose, Zell only nodded. "Feed Carbuncle for me, I'll get him some food while I'm out."

"Sure thing, catch ya later," Zell said as Squall walked away.

"Who's Carbuncle?" Rinoa asked as she watched him leave.

"His cat," Zell explained as he wiped the mustard from his lips.

"Wow, he must really trust you if he lets you take care of his cat," Rinoa replied, changing the mental picture she had of the young man, a cat didn't seem to fit the old image.

"I guess you could say I'm his best friend, actually, I'm his only friend. He doesn't make friends very easily; he tends to creep people out with his Goth look and silence. I guess you could say I owe him my life."

"What do you mean?" Selphie asked, overjoyed to have found another person that owed Squall their life. Her eyes finally noticing the small pin that he had hidden on the collar of his shirt.

"Well, it all happened a long time ago, when we were kids …" He began, settling back in his chair, his eyes glossing over as he remembered.

**AaAaA**

**End Chapter 3, TBC Chapter 4: 'A Man Apart'**


	5. Chapter 4: A Man Apart

**Chapter 4: A Man Apart**

**AaAaA**

Darkness enveloped him as he moved silently out of the building. The guard only nodded as he went past. He'd been here so long that they all knew him and didn't bother with the formalities of asking for his ID.

Squall looked around him, his eyes landing on the brightened skylight of the cafeteria. Zell was sharing stories no doubt. As good of a friend as Zell was, he'd tell you his life story if you asked him.

Squall sighed before slipping into the shadows of the night.

**AaAaA**

"Well, it all happened along time ago, when we were kids ..." Zell began.

"You see, Squall and I grew up in the same orphanage, the only difference is that I got adopted and he didn't. But anyway, I was always a scrawny kid, always picked on and beat-up. That's why I took up martial arts, so that no one could ever pick on me again. When I was 7 years old, my mom sent me into Deling City to buy some supplies. We were in the middle of moving from Galbadia back to Balamb, so she sent me to get supplies for the trip while she packed the luggage."

"So, being the kid I was, I jumped at the job, seeing it as a sign of her finally treating me like a grownup. I was almost to the store when I was attacked. You see, I was wearing nice clothes for the trip; they were the best I owned. My attackers thought that I had a lot of money, or that my parents did. So, they jumped me. They beat me up pretty badly; they took the little money I had when they were scared off by someone or something. But one of the cowards turned back and shot me in the stomach. Shot me, a Seven Year old KID!!!"

"As I lay there, bleeding to death, my short life flashed before my eyes. All the people I had ever known; my parents, Father Alexander, the man that ran the orphanage, the other kids from the orphanage. As my eyes began to close I saw a face that I remembered from the orphanage. At first I thought it was a dream, but then I felt myself being lifted and carried. The next thing I knew I was waking up in a room I'd never seen before. It turns out that Squall had been living on the streets in Deling City for a few years, ever since the orphanage was destroyed by a hurricane. He's the one that scared my attackers away and saved me. He had dressed my wound. At first this didn't bother me, but then I began to wonder why a 7 year old would know how to dress a bullet wound. As I recovered, Squall told me that he had been shot a few times and had to learn quickly or die. Once I had regained consciousness, he had gotten my phone number and called my Mom. She was there almost before the receiver was replaced."

Zell took a breath and a sip of his cola, arranging his thoughts so he wouldn't give anything away.

"When my mom arrived, she called in a doctor. The doctor was amazed at the dressing Squall did, once he got past that he admitted that I shouldn't be moved for a few more days while the stitches he'd put in healed. So I had to stay in the small room that Squall lived in for a week. He was hardly there, but when he was we would talk. Well, he'd talk as much as he does now, very little. But he and I became friends, when I left I invited him to go with us to Balamb, but he said no. He said he had some things to do in Deling still, and that we'd meet up at Balamb Garden. And that's what we did. Two years later we were both admitted to Balamb Garden, we've been here ever since."

"Wow," Selphie said as she stared in awe at the man before her. Rinoa could only nod her head.

"Who knew Squall was such a hero and that you were such a wimp?" Selphie asked with a grin.

"Hey!" Zell said in his defense, forcing the other two to begin laughing.

"I don't see what's so funny," Zell huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest, drawing more laughs from the girls.

**AaAaA**

Squall looked up at the sign, it's meaning very clear to him. He hated having to sneak around like this to get his food. Skillfully picking the lock he entered the back room of the building.

The alarm system had been easy to circumvent, after growing up on the streets of Deling City, most security systems were.

He silently approached the freezers stored there. Opening the one he wanted he quickly grabbed two liquid filled bags, stuffing them into his coat. He retreated to the shadows he came from, relocking the door behind him.

Having reached the safety of his dorm room, Squall carefully placed the bags in his mini-fridge. He sighed as he closed the door.

_This never gets any easier_. He thought as he pushed off from where he was leaning on the fridge.

Retracing his steps to the door, he was stopped by a meow. Looking to his left he saw a pair of orange-yellow eyes staring back at him. The orange longhaired tabby leapt from his perch on a shelf and strode over to his master.

"Hello Carbuncle," Squall said as he picked up the cat, scratching him behind the ears. "Are you hungry, I bought you some food?"

His only answer was an enthusiastic meow as the small animal leapt to the floor and ran to his food dish. Squall gave a rare smile as he grabbed the bag of food and followed. Carbuncle was turning in circles in anticipation of his meal, meowing when he completed a circuit.

Squall tore open the top of the bag and filled his dish, Carbuncle quickly set to work eating, his tail swishing happily as he munched away.

Squall placed the bag in a cabinet before he refilled the water dish.

"I'll be back in a bit, I'm going to talk to Zell," Squall said to the cat, who replied with a muffled meow, his face whiskers deep in the food.

Squall noted the time as he stalked the halls, it was past curfew. This meant that neither Zell nor the others were in the Cafeteria, so he quickly changed course for Zell's dorm room.

Knocking on the door, Squall quickly entered before any of the faculty came by during their rounds.

"Squall, man, what took ya? I expected you back hours ago," Zell began as he closed the door.

"Sorry," was all Squall said as he leaned against the wall, Zell knew why he was here.

"Don't worry, I didn't tell them anything. I just told them the story of how you saved my life when I was shot," he explained to the brooding young man.

"Thank you for being specific about **which** time it was; I have saved your life several times."

"I know, I know, and I'm grateful," Zell began only to be cut off.

"What else did you tell them?"

"Well, nothing. I left out all the details of that day, everything about the Vampyrs. After my story they began teasing me. I wish you were there, that would have at least diverted Rinoa." Zell narrowed his eyes as he grinned and looked at Squall. "She likes you, you know."

Squall just snorted, his arms still crossed.

"I'm sure she likes the mystery more than the person Zell, most women do if you remember. Remember Quistis?"

"Yeah, she almost killed me, I remember that. I don't know why you didn't stake her when you had the chance."

Squall sighed as he dropped his arms to his side, his eyes cast towards Heaven.

"Zell, I'm not even sure why I didn't stake her. Something told me her living would somehow change the world."

Zell snorted his opinion of Quistis' 'living'.

"Squall, as far as I remember, she's wasn't doing a very good job of 'living'. She was barely hanging on in fact."

"But how bad can she be. She did refuse to feed."

"I know," Zell sighed, "But that still doesn't explain why."

"She was just a child at the time Zell, you know I can't kill children, Vampyr or not."

"Ya know, I wonder what ever happened to her anyway," Zell said after a moment of silence passed between them.

"Last I heard, she was in Galbadia getting a medical degree, but that was a few years ago."

"I wonder what she could be doing in Galbadia, the Vampyr Capital of Gaia."

"Not a clue. Zell, I need you to make a trip to Father Alexander, I need some supplies for this weekend."

"Sure thing Squall, what do you need?"

"Well, first I'll need..."

**AaAaA**

**End chapter 4, TBC Chapter 5: Shadows**


	6. Chapter 5: Shadows

**AN:** This comment is mainly for Lionheart1, but it applies to everyone that worries about Squalls OOC. Yes, I know the comment is un-Squall like, but I put it in to show that he is still a human being, that he has wants and desires just like everyone else. I will portray him as the cold, aloof person that he is, but with his friend(s) he can open up a little more; after all, Zell knows who he really is so Squall will reveal more of himself to Zell. But I will go into exactly what Squall and Zell's relationship truly is in a later chapter.

Standard Disclaimer applies.

**Chapter 5: Shadows**

**AaAaA**

He turned over in his bed, the sheets wrapping around his semi-naked body. Tossing his right arm over his face, he tried to sleep.

After 10 minutes of not achieving it, he threw the covers off him and slowly stood up. Making his way to the refrigerator, he shivered as his feet struck the cold tile of the kitchen.

Quickly opening the door he pulled out a bottle of red liquid. Closing the door he found his way, half-blind, to the kitchen table. Blinking his eyes, he looked at the digital clock on the counter, 2:30 pm. He was going to be late for work, but he didn't care. With a shrug, he took the top off the bottle and drank half without taking a breath.

With a contented sigh he place the half-empty bottle on the table, wiping the blood-red liquid from his lips.

_Well, might as well start another day in hell,_ he though as he stood and returned the bottle to the fridge.

Making his way to the bathroom, he removed the boxer shorts he slept in, grabbing a towel as he passed his dresser. Turning the water on, he stepped under the misty spray.

**AaAaA**

She sat behind his desk, arms crossed as she sat in his chair. He was late again, and this time she was going to let him have it. As good of a worker as he was, she wouldn't stand his tardiness. The experiment was nearing completion, and it was his job to make sure all went to plan.

She didn't have to wait long as the ding of the elevator signaled his arrival. Only the fact that a blur swept through his door confirmed it.

"You're late," she said as she looked at him.

"Ah, come on Quisty, don't be like that," he said as he tossed his briefcase onto the desk.

"For the last time Seifer, it's Quistis, or Dr. Trepe. Now, I need an update on the project, where do we stand?"

With a sigh, Seifer moved behind his desk, Quistis moving away to allow him access.

"Well, phase one has been completed. The specimen has been introduced to the target environment. Her adaptation to the environment is perfect, it's as though she has lived there her entire life." He replied as he booted his computer up.

"Good," she answered with a smile. "I'll need those reports on the DNA modifications on my desk by day's end. You also need to get the psychological report from Dr. Wong."

"I know Quistis; it's on my Things to do list. Can I get a cup of coffee before you turn into my slave driver?"

"Seifer, you don't drink coffee," she shot back as he followed her out of the office and toward the kitchenette.

"I do today," he replied with a yawn as he grabbed a cup and poured the bitter black liquid into his cup, almost emptying the sugar bowl after it.

With a sigh, Quistis softened up; after all, she was the one to bring him into this, in more ways than one.

"Very well, but the minute you finish that, I want you to get to work. Understand me?" she asked with a mild glare.

"Yes sir," he replied with a mock salute. She only nodded and walked away.

**AaAaA**

Rinoa sighed as she glanced over the criteria for the research paper she was supposed to write for Ms. Bertram's History class. They were still learning about Vampyrs, and as it turns out, Zell was right. Squall did know more about the subject than the teacher.

The teacher had assigned them to write a paper on the history of the Vampyr. She had assigned it last week and it was due next week, she had a little under a week to complete the 5-page paper.

She sat at her desk; mind a complete blank as to what she would write her paper on, so far, all she had was a cover page, and the teacher provided that.

_Squall and Zell wouldn't have this problem, they know _**everything**_ about Vampyrs._ She though as she twirled her pencil, but dropped it when an idea struck her.

_Hey! Maybe Squall can help me write it, he knows more than I ever will about Vampyrs._

Pleased by her idea, Rinoa left her room to find her soon-to-be savior.

**AaAaA**

Squall was sorting through the equipment that Zell had gotten for him when he heard a knock on his door. Throwing his comforter over the equipment, he went to answer it.

"Yes?" he said with a growl as he opened the door, hoping to scare his visitor off.

"Umm ... did I come at a bad time?" Rinoa asked in surprise after seeing his face. His face was contorted into a look that could melt steel.

"Rinoa!" Squall said in surprise as he dropped his 'look of death', as Zell called it.

"Yup, that's me," she replied, having regained her composure. "Can I come in?"

Squall only nodded as he moved aside and allowed her to enter, checking the hall to make sure no one was watching.

"Squall, I'll be blunt, I need your help," she said with a sigh as she sat on his bed, her thigh just missing the katana that was laying there. Squall put out a hand to stop her, but when she missed the sheath, he returned it to his side.

"And how can I help you?" he asked as he leaned against his dresser, arms crossed over his shirtless chest. He was standing in the half-light thrown by his desk lamp, his upper body in shadow with a shadow line running from his left pectoral down and across his abdomen.

She was silent for a moment as she ran her eyes over his naked chest, her eyes following every muscle on his defined body until he cleared his throat. She quickly explained why she was there, trying to cover her embarrassment.

"You know the report that Ms. Bertram gave us? I have nothing; all I have is the cover page. I need your help to write it."

"I see," he replied in a non-committal tone.

"Please Squall, please help me," She began begging, falling to her knees in a pleading position, hands clasped in front of her, her brown eyes looking imploringly up at him.

Squall sighed as he felt his heart melt; he had no idea why she had this power over him. He only knew that she just did.

"Ok," he replied before she could begin her next round of begging, "I'll help you."

"Oh, thank you," she said as she launched herself at him, arms wrapping around his body as she hugged him to her. Squall was thankful that her face was turned away, for he was certain that he was as red as a tomato.

"You're welcome," he managed to say when she finally released him.

"So," she began shyly, "when do you want to begin working on the paper with me?"

Squall watched as she turned into yet another person, shyly digging her toe into his carpet, her hands behind her back as she glanced at the floor, looking at him occasionally.

"Whenever is good for you," he answered with a shrug.

"How about right now!" she asked brightly, clasping her hands in front of her in hope.

Squall sighed.

"Sure, just let me clean up a bit ok? Then you can help me find my books."

"'Kay," she replied as she sat on the bed again.

Squall rolled his eyes as he decided to clean up his equipment, even if she was going to see it.

Taking the corner of his comforter, he pulled it off the equipment. Rinoa's eyes went wide as she took in the weapons.

"What are those?" she asked.

"Part of my collection, I collect weapons," he told her, it wasn't actually a lie, but it wasn't totally the truth.

"Oh, wow," she replied as she reached out to touch the katana.

"Careful," Squall said as he grabbed it first, "it's very sharp."

"Oh," was all she said as she watched him stow the weapons in his footlocker.

"Ok, so, now you can help me find those books," he said after throwing a blanket over the footlocker.

"Ok, where should I look?"

"You look over there, and I'll look over here. See if you can find anything having to do with Vampyrs."

"Ok."

**AaAaA**

After digging through his room, they came across several old books about Vampyrs.

"Well, this is all I have," Squall said as he put the last book on top of the stack on his desk. In total, there were around 20 books stacked there.

"Wow, that's a lot of books," Rinoa said in awe. "Some of these are quite old."

She reached out and touched a book with parchment like pages, showing its age by the writing on the binding. That style of writing could only be found in a museum now.

"They are, I've collected them from around the world during various ... vacations," Squall answered as he pulled on a t-shirt over the undershirt he had donned during their search.

Rinoa only nodded as she glanced at the titles of the stack, wondering where to start.

"So, any idea where you want to begin?" Squall asked as he lay on hid bed, looking to where she sat at his desk.

"Not really," she answered, "I was hoping you would have an idea."

She looked at him hopefully, he sighed, knowing he couldn't resist that look.

"Ok," he began, sitting up. "Let's start with the beginning, where Vampyrs come from, how does that sound?"

"That's perfect," she exclaimed.

"Good, grab that old book you were looking at earlier, that has the best origination story."

Rinoa reached for the book she had been admiring earlier, grabbing it she looked back, visually asking if it was the right book. Squall nodded before replying.

"That's the one, turn to the first chapter and begin reading. If you need any help just let me know."

"Ok, thank you."

"Not a problem," he replied as he settled on his bed again, leaning back against the pillows for a little nap.

Rinoa smiled as she watched him out the corner of her eye. Once she saw that he was settled she began reading.

_Vampyr – The undead, one that has returned from the grave..._

**AaAaA**

**End chapter 5, TBC Chapter 6: Reports**


	7. Chapter 6: Reports

Standard Disclaimer applies.

**Chapter 6: Reports**

**AaAaA**

Rinoa was quite proud of herself as she looked at the report that Squall had helped her write the night before. Well, to be honest he didn't really help more than bringing her the books she needed and getting her coffee to keep her awake.

Squall was kind enough to let her use his computer to type it up, after much begging and pleading anyway. Now she held the printed version in her hands, a smile on her face as she read over it.

**Vampyrs; A History  
by Rinoa Heartilly**

**The origins of Vampyrs are heavily shrouded in the mists of time. While the true origin of these 'Children of the Night' may never be know, there are many folk tale accounts that try and explain where they came from.**

Smiling as she reread the opening paragraph, she placed the paper in her binder and let out a sigh. Stretching her arms over her head she heard several vertebra pop back into place.

"You know, a good message will get your spine back into place."

Rinoa jumped at the voice behind her, she had forgotten that she was still in Squall's room.

"Are you offering?" she asked with a grin, his only reply was to raise his eyebrow.

"How's the report?" he asked, changing the conversation for he did want to give her a message. But it was better if he didn't get close to her.

"It's all done!" she told him proudly as she stood up and stretched her back. "And it's all thanks to you."

"Me? All I did was show you the books, you took it from there."

"Ah, but if you hadn't agreed to help me I would never have finished it."

"How about this, let's just agree that it was a joint venture?" he asked knowing that this little game could go on for hours, he'd seen it before with other couples.

Squall's heart stopped beating for a second as he thought that. Did this mean that he thought of himself and Rinoa as a couple?

Mentally shaking his head, he ignored the idea. She was in desperate need of help on her report so she came to him. Nothing more, nothing less. He had the knowledge; she needed the help, end of story.

"Agreed," she said with a smile.

Squall nodded before standing before her. She took a step back as he loomed in front of her.

"Well, shall we go get some breakfast?" he asked into the silence that followed his rising.

"Sure," she said with a smile, "but ... um you may want to put a shirt on, unless you _want_ the entire female population to be drooling over you while they eat."

Squall looked down at himself, only to realize that he was only wearing a pair of pajama pants. Flushing, he quickly agreed with her, telling her to wait there while he changed.

Rinoa sat down at his desk, leaning back against the chair as she slowly spun it around in circles, her eyes on the ceiling.

Stopping the chair she glanced down at his footlocker and the weapons she knew were inside.

Glancing around to make sure he was still in the bathroom she silently made her way to the chest and opened it. she gasped when she saw all the weapons in the chest. Reaching for the one that captivated her, she pulled out the katana he'd had on the bed last night. Quietly sliding the blade from the sheath, she held the sheath to her side as she tested the weight of the blade. Making a few downward cuts with her right hand, she silently brought the blade up into a horizontal block, stopping the downward strike of an imaginary opponent. Smiling she brought the blade back to her face, her eyes going over the workmanship of the handle and hilt. Placing the sheath on the bed she ran her left hand along the back of the blade, no feeling any imperfections in the steel. Noticing an engraving on the blade near the hilt she peered closer, trying to make out the ancient writing.

"It says 'Lionheart'," Squall's voice behind her said.

Turning guiltily she brought the blade to bear, edge inches away from his throat. To his credit he didn't even flinch, merely ran his hand down the outside of the blade until he had it pointing horizontally between them.

"I've never seen this writing before," she said as she blushed and quickly replaced the blade in its sheath.

"Few have, it's an ancient dialect that's no longer spoken, save for a rare few, and even those are dying out," he said with a sad expression on his face.

"Are you one of the few?" she asked as she handed him the katana, which he took and placed back in the footlocker before answering.

"Yes," he replied as he straightened up. Closing his eyes as he sighed.

"Where'd you get it?" she asked as she took a step towards him.

"That is a long and complicated story, Rinoa. It's best left for another time, as is anything else about the dialect."

Rinoa took a step back.

"Can you read minds?" she said in shock, for that was going to be her next question.

"No," he replied without turning around. "But I do know where these conversations always end up going. Now, shall we go get breakfast before we create too many rumors?"

"Of course," she said with a smile, recovering from her shock. "Lead the way Squall."

Silently walking to the door he opened it. looking into the deserted hallway, he motioned for her to follow him as he left the room. The door closing behind them as they moved towards the cafeteria.

**AaAaA**

"Ah, Seifer, here for the psychology report are you?" the Harvard trained psychologist asked.

"Good afternoon Dr. Wong," Seifer said as he bowed his head in greeting, "you know Dr. Trepe, has to have the report as soon as it's available." Seifer added with a smirk.

"Indeed," Wong said with a smile as he flipped through a few folders before finding the one he needed. Handing it to Seifer he summarized his findings. "Here you are Seifer, the psychology report on the Project Griever subject. From all observations, she is totally unaware of the experiment. As far as she knows, the world she is living in is the one she was born into."

"Good, that's' good to hear," Seifer said with a sigh.

"Yes, I know, I don't feel right with the experiment myself, but we have no choice. We must see it through to the end."

"I know, but I still don't like it. she should know about the experiment so that she can lead a normal life."

"Normal life? Seifer, from the DNA modifications you people have been making to her, she never will lead a 'normal life' as you put it."

With a sigh, Seifer turned and reached for the door.

"I know, but after all this time I can't help but think of her as family, ya know?" With that he opened the door and left, heading to the Genetics Department to get their report on the DNA Modifications.

"Indeed I do, Seifer. As far as I'm concerned she is family."

**AaAaA**

Entering the cafeteria, Squall quickly spotted Zell and Selphie waving at them. Nodding in their direction, he sent Rinoa to the table while he went and got food.

"Good Morning!" Selphie said in her ever-cheerful voice.

"Morning," Rinoa replied with a yawn and a smile.

"So, how'd you sleep last night?" Zell asked with a stupid grin plastered on his face, perfectly mirroring the one on Selphie's face.

"I didn't get any sleep; I was working on my report for Ms. Bertram's class."

"But it's not due for another week," Selphie said with a slight frown.

"I know, but I wanted to get it done now and out of the way. You know Selph, if you need help get Zell to help you, he almost knows as much about Vampyrs as Squall does."

"So that's why you two came out of his room together," Selphie said as her eyes sparkled.

Rinoa's mouth dropped open and a look of hurt crossed her face.

"You saw?" she accused them.

"Saw what?" Squall asked as he set a tray on the table, handing Rinoa her pancakes and juice. His meal consisted of coffee and oatmeal. When he asked, both Selphie and Zell grew quiet. Squall shot a glance at Zell that clearly said 'talk'. As much as Zell would have liked too, he couldn't get a word out.

"We ... um ... uh ... we ..." he tried before Rinoa cut him off, saving him, somewhat.

"They saw us leave your room this morning," Rinoa said with a betrayed look at her friends.

"Actually, Zell saw you, he just told me about it," Selphie said, trying to clear herself of any blame.

"But you're just as guilty as he is," Rinoa said with some heat. "Isn't she Squall?" she asked turning to the man beside her.

Squall just shrugged as he ate his oatmeal.

"They know better than to spread rumors, don't they?" Squall said with a glare at the two, they immediately agreed.

"Yeah, we sure do, we won't tell a soul," Zell stuttered out, relieved that they didn't inflict the wrath of Squall, yet.

"Yeah, not a peep," Selphie said at the same time, nodding to prove her point.

Rinoa was somewhat surprised that a few words from Squall would seal the lips of the two biggest gossips in Balamb Garden.

"Good," he said as he pushed his oatmeal bowl away from him. Zell and Selphie let out a relieved breath before talking about what they were going to do over the weekend, this being Friday and all.

"How'd you do that?" Rinoa asked Squall in a whisper.

"What?" he asked as he sipped his coffee.

"Get them to shut up," she said even softer.

Squall merely smirked before draining his cup.

Realizing that she wasn't going to get an answer she decided to do what Zell and Selphie were doing.

"So Squall, what are you going to do over the weekend?" she asked as she rested her head on her hand, looking in his direction.

"He's has some business to take care of in Deling City," Zell answered, proving that he was eavesdropping.

"Really? I haven't been to Deling City in months, can I go with you?"

Squall merely looked at her, thinking about the 'business' that he had to take care of. He was mentally weighing whether or not to take her with him.

He pondered the question for a few moments before coming to a decision.

Opening his mouth to speak he gave her his answer.

**AaAaA**

**End Chapter 6, TBC Chapter 7: Predator/Prey**


	8. Chapter 7: PredatorPrey

Chapter 7: Predator/Prey

**AaAaA**

Squall looked out the window of the train, the countryside turning into a cityscape as they approached their destination.

"_Ladies and Gentleman, we will be arriving in Deling City shortly, please make sure that you have all your personal belongings with you when you disembark. Thank you for riding Deling Rails and enjoy your stay._"

Squall sighed as he glanced to the seat next to him, his bag was where he left it, and he knew that his trunk was safely in the baggage car.

He had been on this train often enough to know that the conductors were bored out of their minds and would rather be doing something else. So having your baggage together when you left was always a good thing for they could be grumpy at times.

Returning his eyes to the window he watched as the train slowed and eventually pulled into the Deling City Station. Grabbing his bag he stood up and moved to the door and out of the car.

"Wow, it's so pretty," she said from his elbow as they left to collect their luggage from the baggage car, he had almost forgotten she was there in the silence.

"How long since you were last here?" he asked as he grabbed his trunk and drug it to a nearby luggage trolley.

"Several months," she said automatically, but paused as she actually thought about it, "actually it's been almost a year and a half."

Squall only grunted as he pushed the trolley out of the station and towards the awaiting taxicabs.

**AaAaA**

"Wow, this is where you live?" Rinoa asked as the taxi pulled up to a nondescript building in the industrial/warehouse district.

"Yes," was all Squall said as he paid the driver and moved to open the door; he was surprised that she was that excited about an old warehouse.

Opening the door he pulled the trunk through and dropped it just inside. Entering the pitch-black portal he fumbled around the wall for the light switch.

Rinoa gasped when the lights illuminated the interior.

On the left side of the building was a row of cars, trucks, and a motorcycle. On the right was what appeared to be a training area complete with weapons and target range. In the back Rinoa could see the two-story office area that Squall had converted into an apartment.

"Wow," was all she said as she stood in the doorway, half outside the building.

"Are you going to come in or stand outside all night?" Squall said when she made no move to enter, his voice carrying only a hint of annoyance.

"Oh, yeah," she said with a small grin as she stepped in and closed the door behind her.

Her eyes were having trouble focusing on any one point as she walked toward the row of vehicles. Eventually they gave up trying to identify all the artifacts that lined the walls and focused on the motorcycle, or motorcycles as it turned out to be.

"Is that a Harley?" she asked as she pointed to a big black and silver motorcycle dwarfing the sport bike on the side furthest from the door.

"Yes," he replied from halfway across the room.

Leaving the bikes, she wandered over to where Squall was checking the mail that had been placed in a drop box just to the left of the door.

"You know, I never pictured you as a biker," she said in mild humor, a smile gracing her face.

Squall only turned to look at her before returning his attention to the mail.

"Things aren't always what they seem are they?" he asked as he threw the junk mail into a shredder.

"No, I guess they aren't," she replied as she watched him walk to the office/apartment's stairs.

Realizing that he was leaving her, she ran to catch him as he began to make his way up the stairs.

"So," she began as she slowly followed behind him, "where am I going to sleep?"

"On a bed," he replied without even missing a beat.

His remark had the ability of silencing her for the rest of the journey into the apartment.

Once inside he didn't even give her a chance to look around, with a gesture he led her to a spare bedroom.

"You'll sleep here, the kitchen is down the hall to your left, bathroom to your right." With that he turned and walked down the hall toward what could be considered the living room.

"Squall," she called, waiting until he paused to continue. "Where's you room? In case I get scared."

"Down the hall behind you," he replied before continuing on his way. "Wash up, dinner in half an hour."

**AaAaA**

The kitchen/living room was silent as Squall and Rinoa sat eating their small dinner. Several times Rinoa had tried to start a conversation, but each time she opened her mouth she closed it just as fast, no words would leave it. So after failing to start even a simple conversation she had given up and found herself in the silence that now shrouded them.

Glancing up from the chicken she was eating she took a moment to study the man opposite her. His steel grey eyes were hidden by his bangs as he looked down to cut his entrée. So much went on in the mind hidden behind those eyes. Oh, how she wanted to know what he was truly thinking, not the front that he showed the rest of the world.

She watched him as he raised the fork to his mouth and took the food off the end, her eyes traveled to the scar that ran along his face. _How did he get it?_

"What?" he asked even as he lifted the fork to his mouth once again.

Rinoa blushed when she realized she'd been caught staring.

"I ... er ... I was just wondering where you got that scar." She stammered out even as his steel-grey eyes rose to meet her own chocolate eyes.

"When I was a child," he replied after looking at her through slightly closed eyes.

She waited for him to continue but he didn't.

"That's all?" she asked in frustration. "When you were a child? There has to be more to it than that!"

"There isn't!" He snapped before managing to calm himself, due partially to the look of hurt and shock on her face and partially because he was overreacting.

With a sigh he put his utensils down and looked at her.

"You already know I was an orphan and a little about my life before I came to Garden, this scar is one of the reminders of that life."

She knew he was holding something back, but she wasn't going to push. She was just glad that she got him to open up even a little bit.

After finishing dinner Rinoa tried to ask Squall a question that she'd been wondering all night.

"Um … Squall," she began but trailed off when he turned from the dishes he was washing to regard her. Steeling her courage she continued on. "Can we go into town tonight; I haven't been back in so long I'd like to look around."

He just looked at her as he dried his hands on a towel.

"I need to get some supplies anyway."

"Thank you," she said in a squeal of delight as she rushed to him and hugged him. She quickly let go and rushed to her room to get a jacket.

Squall just return to finishing the dishes.

**AaAaA**

Walking through the markets of Deling City brought back many memories for Rinoa. Some good, but mostly bad, mainly consisting of the time after her mother's death and how her father had turned cold.

Now she and Squall were beginning the journey back to his apartment, he having found the supplies he needed and she having had a trip down memory lane.

Having begged and pleaded with him, she had finally got her way. They were now making their way through one of the city's parks, much against his better judgment.

Rinoa was happily running along in front of him as he carried the bags. She stopped beneath a tree to watch the Moon as she waited for him to catch up. She did this several more times before they reached a thick clump of trees.

Before either knew it Rinoa was jumped by four assailants. Squall dropped the bags and reached for his gunblade only to remember that he hadn't brought it. Shrugging the problem off he ran toward them and opened with a left hook to one of the attacker's jaws. Needless to say he was somewhat surprised when the attacker withdrew from the blow and hissed at him.

Letting out a string of profanity he cursed their luck to run into a pack of Vampyrs out on the hunt. Falling into a stance he waited for them to attack him, hoping that they would forget about Rinoa and focus on the bigger threat, three did, leaving the fourth to hold a struggling Rinoa.

"Don't worry," he hissed in her ear, "once we finish with your little boyfriend it'll be your turn."

She continued to fight but his grip around her throat was too tight, all she could do was watch.

**AaAaA**

Squall for his part was partly thrilled, he lived for this stuff after all, but part of him was worried about Rinoa. So in order to alleviate that worry he had to kill the vamps quickly.

Grabbing the arm of the same vamp he had hit he turned behind him and quickly broke his arm at the elbow joint. Pushing him aside he focused on the other two who were keeping a distance as they looked for weakness.

Yet even as their pain and rage filled friend attacked again they realized what they were fighting. He bore the smell of dusted Vampyrs on him, the clear sign of a hunter.

Even as Squall moved to take the attacking Vampyr in a headlock he knew that the others were waiting for an opening. Moving quickly he practically tore the head off the one he held and turned to the others even as he crumpled to the ground, Rinoa's scream ignored.

"You will die tonight Hunter, then we will feed on your woman," one of the remaining hissed at him. Squall said nothing as he rushed toward them and took them both on in hand-to-hand combat.

He ducked as the claws of one passed through where his head had been, but that brief moment allowed the other to dig his claws into Squall's back. Wincing in pain he kicked them both away from him.

Taking a moment to rotate his shoulder he gauged the situation. Three Vampyrs, two fighting and one with a hostage. He had no weapons except his hands and the small switchblade he always carried.

Well, it was better than nothing. With that thought running through his mind he removed the knife and opened the small switchblade. With knife in hand he took a fighting stance and hoped that he'd be able to end this soon.

Waiting for the attack he didn't have to wait long. They both rushed him, confident in their ability to defeat him.

Ducking below one he jabbed the knife into the stomach of the other as they passed by, the blade dragging out a long gaping wound. While it wasn't fatal it would slow him down enough for Squall to deal with the other Vampyr.

Focusing on the other Vampyr he shifted the knife to the other hand. Moving closer he made several experimental stabs, testing his opponent's defense. Needless to say there was very little as he had no training in fighting bladed weapons.

Taking a chance he rushed into his opponent, the blade slashing and stabbing, scoring superficial wounds. These only served to throw off the Vampyr's concentration, as was the intention. With a move fast as lightning he stuck the blade into the Vampyr's heart before pulling it out and shoving it into his throat. Using the knife he cut along the throat, making it easier for him to remove the head with his bear hands. Even as his opponent struggled Squall was still able to snap his neck and tear his head off.

Covered in blood from the two Vampyr's he had already killed he turned his attention to the final two. His eyes landed on the one he had sliced open, but this was just the opening that this one holding Rinoa was waiting for. Sinking his teeth into her neck he began to feed, covering her muffled scream with a hand. He didn't stop there, as he was feeding his other hand made its way to her arm and with out any hesitance snapped the bone there.

Dropping her with a smirk he backed away, content with the knowledge that he had drained her almost to the point of death. He had stopped though, he wanted this Hunter to feel the pain of holding her in his arms as she died.

Vanishing into the shadows he left his friend for dead, but he was no idiot, he too made his way into the darkness.

Turning to face the one holding Rinoa he came to a realization. He had failed her, he was supposed to protect her and had failed. Now she was bleeding to death on the ground.

Without a thought he ran to her and scooped her up into his arms. She was so weak that she couldn't even hold onto him. Moving as fast as he could he made his way back to his apartment. He only hoped that he would be able to save her in time.

**AaAaA**

**End Chapter 7; TBC Chapter 8: I Can't Do This.**


End file.
